Boiler explosion at Pakistan factory leaves at least 15 workers dead

1. Asia
2. South Asia

Factory manager arrested but owner still on the run

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At least 15 workers were killed and seven injured after an explosion ripped through a glue-making factory in eastern Pakistan on Friday.

A boiler at the industrial facility in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province, exploded. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

Police said they had arrested the factory manager and were looking for the owner, who fled shortly after the blast.

The blast caused panic in the area where homes were damaged, local administrator Raja Jahangir said.

Footage showed rescue workers removing bodies of the victims from the wreckage. Several factory buildings appeared heavily damaged, with burnt vehicles and piles of debris lying scattered across the site.

An investigation was underway, local police official Mohammad Aslam said.

Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed condolences and ordered authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.

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